Save Open Space Eyes Newhall Ranch

The environmental group Save Open Space is training its sights on the massive Newhall Ranch project.

Saying the planned community of 70,000 people in Los Angeles County near the Ventura County line is incompatible with existing Santa Clarita Valley homes, the group’s board is urging that no zoning changes be granted that could allow the project to be built.

Newhall Land & Farming Co. is seeking a General Plan amendment and zone changes from the Los Angeles Regional Planning Commission on 19 square miles of grazing land west of Magic Mountain. The changes are among the steps needed before the company can build the more than 25,000 homes it proposes.

“They bought this as agricultural land and that’s what they should be using it for, not high-density residential uses,” said group spokesman Vince Curtis. “There’s already 52,000 approved, but unbuilt, [housing] units in Santa Clarita.”

Moreover, the group’s board maintains that any zoning or General Plan changes should be approved by a majority of Santa Clarita residents rather than politicians who have received campaign contributions from the politically influential company.

“That would be a wonderful way for the people of Santa Clarita to decide on their future,” Curtis said, adding that such a vote is unlikely to occur.

In addition, the group would like 6,000 acres of open space on the site that the company plans to turn over to an environmental management group to be given to the state instead.

The group has set up an Internet site for people affected by the proposed development to post comments about it. The address is https://www.newhallranch.com

The comments will be presented at a hearing of the Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission at 9 a.m. Thursday at 320 W. Temple St.